Warning device for vehicles



Oct. 27, 1953 J. 'PJIZA-"PPIA WARNING DEVICE FOR .vEHIcuEs Filed Feb. 8, 1952 INVENTOR. JOSEPH ZAPPIA TI'ORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES r 2,657,379 WARNING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES J oseph1P. .Za-ppia; Maple Heights,- Oliiii' Application Fetrusry s, 1952,-,sria1No.-20',69,

This invention pertains to" a warning device particularly adapted for-emergency use whenair automobile; truck, busor-the-like hasbecome dis a-bled' o-n the road;

At the present time there great danger on the highwayatnight-Whemail-automobile; truck" or bus becomesdisabled'and' pulls partly tothe side-of-the road; Vehicles which come up to the disabled" car are apt to crash into: it' as many drivers operate their cars at a speedsuch that they cannot stop iii-the distance shown by" their headlightsto beclear:

Warning devices-are available to operators efvehicles butusually-they dontuse-them unless; as in the case of truck drivers, the law-requires a Warning-signal.

An obj ectof'the invention is to prov-idea warn-- ing-device which can beinstalledin anycar, truck or bus and which; after itis-instal ld, isso easy to put into operation a that many-operators of vehicles will use "them;

A further-object-of myinventionis to provide a warning-lightwhich' may-be qmcklvand-easilymounted on an automobile." Another objectofthe invention is-to providea light which may be operated" as'a troublelight as well' as a blinking warning light:

For-a better understanding ofth'e present vention; together with other and-further ob-j ects" thereof; reference is had tothe following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, and its-scope will be'pointedout in-theappended'claims;

Inthe drawings:

Figure :1 i of the drawingi'saview showing the device of the invention-secured tmthe top edgeof' an utomob e wind w;

Figure 2 of the drawing is a sectional view takenthrough the device of. the invention;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the warning light.

Referring to-Figure l of: the-drawing there is shown a portion of the top Hl of an automobile havingqawindow H which isradapted to "beraised azndlowered-z When raised the window-"lvl fits into the; groove l2 in thegupper window .frame to provide ani-air-tight seal and to; support gtheztop edge of the window against lateral motion.

The top of the automobile I is provided with a shallow trough I3 which extends along both sides of the car above the doors and windows, as is well known, to prevent water on the roof from running down into the windows when the windows are open, and to prevent water from running off the top onto persons getting into or out of the car.

4 Claimsr (Cl. 349-366) Thedevice of tneiiiventien comprises a Ho 0 ball liiwmade of glass,- plastic or the like, throng which light can Shine. Preferably the hollow ball [5 should be translucent and it should be red, though it is also W'ifil iih the S9610 dfifl'i invention to use clear transparent g-l 0 pl ticv with a suitable light" bulb or" othermeaiis within it to givethe prei'errediedcoioi.

The translucent red 'bau' lb' 'lias opening rs?" in its bottom portion intdwhi'cl'i is see socket member I'Thavihg a ligl'itbiilb portion I8 located within the ball lilafi .an'extension member engaging portion" l9 nests-aides side of and below the ball. b I} I The light bulb, efi aginsipormon wise-dafifi to hold a light bulb 20 and i'ficli'id the 'usii'all'. socket device into which-the bins wean-term: placeabl-y scur'dto establish 'electflcaicfi-i cuit' through the bulb; s

The extension membeneng'agingiportioif |9"i"s tubular and has all partition 21 whims-wines member into awi're rec vifiepsssageway1'2emr an extension rod engaging socketz'af Adoubl? wire 24 extendsthrough the p 'ge'way arise the ro'undiwire zsis; ,conn' te the" socket member I e which: preferably "i made" or" ifietaif; The other wirezs passes thrti'ugha: new 21 the partition 2'8ffafidl is connected tofafsp'r g biased Contact 29j7vl1ich engages-the centeiicbn? tact of the bulbiZ'll. The eiitensiorifodefigagingi socket 2 3 preferablyisl round dress-sectarian: is of a diameter to snugly: receiv .a; standard wooden vdowel rod, such for exampie as" a? length of 7;)ir16h dOWeITWhiH ats'as an extension member 25.. I w, The other end of 1 the" extension? m'einberjf 25' snugly fits. m. a socket 21' a; w ndow? bracket 28', and the window bracket '2185 isadeiptedf to ,be held,'. as: shown in Figure!" 1'; between t ej raisedwindow glass l I the window frameof an automobile. p I

The window-bracket 28' preferabh 1s maide'of pnstiemateriai;a aebnipnses;ac .p 1 3'2; two-downwardly; extend 3i secured .tovthe' centralliport onandf" I Y straddle the window 8155s 1 l' (u wardli facing,-;socket member zriaisoic mhect a 'td'thef central portion. Ifr'i'rne'diilte1' above the tea 1912" members there is a ridge member 35 forming part of the window bracket. The ridge member is located substantially directly above and between the two leg members 30, 3|.

The window bracket 28 is secured in place merely by lowering one of the windows on the left hand side of the car and placing the bracket '28 with the legs straddling the window glass H and with the socket member 21 on the outside of the car. The window is then raised until the ridge member 35 rests in the groove in the window frame normally occupied by the window glass when the window is closed. The door may be opened and closed with the bracket in place, facilitating inserting one end of the extension rod 25 in the socket 21. The translucent red ball member I is then placed on the other end of the extension rod. The light cord runs through the slight open crack between the window glass and the window frame caused by the bracket 28 being in place. The switch 40 is then closed to light the bulb 20.

Though not essential, it is desirable that the warning light blink to attract attention. An automatic circuit interrupter 4| is placed in the circuit to periodically make and break the circuit. Such an interrupter is well known to the art as it is used in the ordinary turn indicator for automobiles.

The translucent red ball I5 has a hook member 44 connected to it. When the warning light is not in use the wire can be wound about the hook member and the hook member used to hold the unit under the dash board. The hook may also be used to attach the warning light to the outside of the car. Most automobiles have a small gutter in the top above the windows and doors. The hook member 44 will suspend the warning light from this gutter, in which event the extension rod and Window bracket need not be used.

When the device is to be used as a trouble light instead of a warning light, the socket member I1 is removed from the ball (5 merely by turning them with respect to each other until the ears 46 on the socket register with the slots 41 in the bottom of the ball I5, at which location they come apart readily. The switch 48 is then moved from its normal position shown in Figure 2 until it engages contact 49. The interrupter is then cut out of the circuit and the bulb will give a steady light.

. It is contemplated that a car owner, upon purchasing one of these warning light units will install it by connecting the wire 50 to a source of current, preferably under the dash board. The unit thereafter is ready for immediate use simply by unwinding the wire, putting the window bracket in place or hanging the device on the drip gutter, and throwing the switch 4%.

The warning device is mounted high above the top of the car if the extension rod is used, and it is approximately level with the top of the car if the extension rod is not used. In either position the light can be made to blink off and on or it can be made to give out a steady light. Further, the light bulb and socket can be removed from the ball l5 and used around the car as a trouble light.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes 4 and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A warning light for an automobile comprising: a translucent ball having an opening in the bottom portion thereof, a hook member secured to the side of said ball, a socket member secured in the opening in the bottom of the ball and having a light bulb engaging portion within the ball and an extension member engaging portion outside of said ball, an extension member one end of which cooperates with said engaging portion, a window bracket adapted to be secured between the top edge of the automobile window and the window frame including means for holding said extension member upright above said automobile, and electrical wires connected to said socket member for connecting a bulb within said socket to the electrical system of said autcmobile.

2. A warning light for an automobile compris ing: a translucent plastic ball having an opening in the bottom portion thereof, a grooved socket member replaceably secured in said opening and having a light bulb engaging portion within the ball and an extension member engaging portion outside of said ball, an extension member one end of which engages said engaging portion of said extension member, means for securing the other end of said extension member to said automobile for holding said light above said automobile, and electrical circuit means connected to said light bulb engaging portion for connecting a bulb therein to the electrical system of said automobile.

3. A warning light as set forth in claim 2, further characterized by blinker means connected in said electrical circuit means to cause said warning light to blink off and on.

4. A warning light for an automobile comprising: a translucent ball having an opening in the bottom portion thereof, a socket member replaceably secured in the said opening and having a light bulb engaging portion within the ball and an extension member engaging portion outside of said ball, an extension member one end of which engages said extension member engaging portion, a window bracket including a split portion for straddling the window glass in an automobile when the window is lowered and a portion for engaging the window frame when said window is raised to clamp the bracket in a fixed position, said bracket including means for engaging and holding the other end of said extension member, and electrical circuit means connected to said light bulb engaging portion of said socket member.

JOSEPH P. ZAPPIA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

